Heart and Soul
by Cherry Whisper
Summary: Enishi tries to start life anew after mourning for his sister and being defeated by Himura Kenshin. Seeing how vengeance will not heal the scars of the past, he realizes that there is someone who can. (EnishiKaoru)
1. Tempest

Heart and Soul  
  
Prologue: Tempest  
  
It was all so simple in the beginning. He had planned it strategically, his desire for vengeance driving him to carry out his schemes. Take the one person that Battousai had held dearest to his heart and whisk her away to his island fortress. He had played the wonderful scene all in his head in the darkest hours of each passing night before he succumbed to a slumber of horrid nightmares. He had pictured slicing the girl's throat with the cold steel of his blade as the crimson-haired ruroni witnessed. He had dreamed of spilling her blood, feeling the precious drops of life trickling down his fingers as he enjoyed the look of horror and sorrow on Battousai's face. He wanted to watch him suffer as he had when he took his sister away from him. He wanted the same pain he had felt to eat away at the soul of the former assassin, to send him into an oblivion of despair.  
  
Yes, he imagined killing the girl with twisted glee and excitement. Finally, his sister would be avenged and he would be able to receive one of the smiles that would always warm his heart since he was young. With the death of Kamiya Kaoru, he would finally know happiness once more.  
  
But now...things just were not that simple anymore.  
  
He watched her from the shadows, the steady glare of his turquoise eyes never leaving her still form. The wind had whispered through her long hair, its invisible fingers entwining with the endless raven strands. Her bangs drifted against the sides of her smooth, gentle face. However, she was immune to the playfulness of the night breeze, for he could see that her crystal blue eyes were focused on the undulations of the ocean ahead of her with a solemnity that betrayed her young age.  
  
Nonetheless, she was breathtaking. His piercing eyes drank her beauty with ravenous consumption from behind his dark shades, his mind embedded with her gorgeous image. Even though the moon was devoured by the blackness of the storm clouds that threatened to pour rain, she was glowing with a radiance that no other female could surpass. He had known that since he had first laid eyes on her and decided to kidnap the girl away from Tokyo. Away from her dojo, away from her loved ones...  
  
And especially away from Himura Kenshin.  
  
Although Kamiya was attractive, she was ignorant to wait for a man whose inner turmoil was so great that he would not accept the love of a girl who was willing to do anything for him. A pang of jealousy stabbed his heart upon remembering the confidence of the girl's voice when she said to him that Battousai would come to rescue her. He recalled the affection gleaming in the depths of her blue eyes as she said his name whenever she had thought about him, which was quite frequently.  
  
Such adoration for a poor, tortured soul...it was enough to make him retch.  
  
"Love-sick fool."  
  
His cruel words broke the silence, and her azure eyes met his indifferent ones, her rosy lips set in a straight line. He knew exactly how to get to Kaoru from the weeks that she had spent on the island. He knew what to say to make her feel embarrassed, knew the words that would send her in a fit of tumultuous fury.  
  
But he had yet to know what would make her frightened of him, and that pestered him to no end.  
  
"What do you mean?" was her indignant reply. He sauntered over to her in an arrogant walk, his navy blue cape billowing in the ocean wind.  
  
"You spend countless hours here when you are not annoying me with your babble and poisoning me with that horrible substance that you call food."  
  
A spark of anger clashed against the serene color of blue in her eyes, but she said nothing.  
  
"And for what? Waiting for a man who could never return your love?"  
  
That did it. His smirk grew wider as she came alive with anger. "For your information, you arrogant jerk, Kenshin is coming for me as we speak! He'll land on those shores soon enough, and-"  
  
"Oh, I know that Battousai is coming for you," his smooth voice mocked her. "I am just stating the truth that my sister's murderer will never be able to feel the same way about you."  
  
The anger subsided to doubt and sadness, sending a sting of guilt through Enishi's being. "You...you don't know that!" She cried, her voice trembling with emotion.  
  
"Have you ever wondered why Himura let you into his heart in the first place, Kamiya?" He persisted, his voice covered in malice. "Out of all the pitiful idiots that he aids in order to redeem himself, do you know why he chose you to be closest to him?"  
  
Kaoru did not answer him, only stared attentively with her sorrowful crystal eyes.  
  
"It is because of the same reason why I have not been able to slay you. It is because you remind him of my dear sister."  
  
Her eyes went wide when his bitter words reached her ears. She stared blankly at him, refusing to believe what she had heard.  
  
"N-no..." She uttered, her uneven voice embodying the fearful apprehension that her captor might be right.  
  
He closed the distance between them with one more step, his height obviously towering that of her own. "I speak the truth, Kamiya. As brutish and rebellious that your manners are, you do embody some of the features of my sister. That is why Himura is always willing to protect you. That is why he is on a ship bound for my island right now. Rescuing you is a chance to repent for his sins. To that insolent bastard, saving you is the same as saving Tomoe."  
  
Her eyes were brimmed with tears that her pride refused to shed, making the blue depths shimmer with a beautiful sorrow. He had hit her where it had hurt the most. Enishi knew that he had gotten through to that thick head of hers.  
  
But unbeknownst to Kaoru, he was telling all of this solely for her sake. Tomoe died because of that cursed Battousai. He had seen it with his own eyes when her body was impaled by his sword, her life stolen from her as her blood stained the thick cloth of her kimono. He remembered seeing the pain and silent anguish that swirled in her eyes as she had fallen by Battousai's hand. He would never see his sister smile or hear her mature voice filled with wisdom ever again because of what Himura had done. It was her involvement with the Battousai that had been her death.  
  
He didn't want the same to happen to Kaoru. Himura was a man whose hands were tainted with the blood of thousands, including that of Tomoe's. For some inexplicable reason, Enishi didn't want Kaoru to be murdered because of her blind love for the former assassin. He couldn't keep his sister from being killed by him, but he could save the girl.  
  
To Enishi, Kaoru was safer with him than she was with the Battousai.  
  
"...you're wrong."  
  
He heard her animated voice, and he was thrown off guard by how she her answer. He thought that he had broken her, finally got her to realize that her affection was wasted on Himura. But cerulean eyes sparkling with tears, accompanied by a sad smile, gazed into his handsome face. "Kenshin is coming to save me because I am a friend. Not because I remind him of a woman from his past."  
  
He sneered at how idealistic and naïve her nature was, but he kept silent.  
  
"I...I love him, and I always will..."  
  
The words were like venom to his ears, and he felt a hot, white anger burning within him.  
  
"I don't know what I am to Kenshin, and I'm not sure how he feels about me. But I do know this...I know that we have always been dear friends, and that we still are. He is going to save me, not your sister, because of our friendship. Kenshin has many regrets in his life, but he knows that to live in the past is to not live at all."  
  
With that, she turned her back to him so that her high ponytail was facing him. Seeing the endless tendrils of raven twirling in the ocean wind had stirred his blood. He had the strange urge to wrap his fingers in them, but he had forced himself to remain where he was.  
  
She was just so damned impossible to figure out.  
  
He was shocked by the maturity of her girlish voice, but was arranged by her attachment for the Battousai. He didn't deserve her. Not in the least bit. Enishi was certain that the former assassin would never be able to live his life with Kaoru as the foolish tomboy had hoped because he was too preoccupied with the guilt that gnawed at his soul each day. Kaoru should not throw away her heart to a man like Himura who still had ghosts that had incessantly haunted him. It was abominable.  
  
A loud rumble of thunder rolled across the dark skies, and a light blanket of raindrops began to fall from the heavens. Within the span of a few minutes, the drizzle had evolved into a heavy downpour, soaking both the tomboy and Enishi. He felt the cold touch of the raindrops slipping down his skin, drenching his sleeveless shirt and cape. The feathery, wild strands of sterling hair were weighed down from the storm, but he was oblivious to the rain.  
  
It was she that had clouded his senses. He was only a few tempting inches away from her, and even through the heavy rain, his nostrils could still smell her subtle, yet intoxicating, scent. The falling drops of water only illuminated her pale, creamy skin as it caused the simple white robe that she wore to cling to her lithe body. He felt that the world and everything around him had slipped away from him: his turquoise eyes only saw her.  
  
And even though she was within his reach, she wasn't there. Kaoru was not here in this fortress with Enishi. She was at her dojo, scolding her student and stealing secretive glances at Battousai when she thought that he wasn't looking.  
  
'Damn her,' Enishi cursed in his thoughts. 'She doesn't see what she's doing to me. She's pining for that bastard.'  
  
He didn't even have to look at her, he knew. He recalled every moment he had spent with Kaoru when she had talked about the ruroni with great affection, much to his anger and disgust. Her eyes would grow so distant when Himura was brought up. When she wasn't cooking for Enishi or arguing with him, she spent countless hours on this very balcony looking to the shore, expecting to see the redheaded Battousai coming to her rescue with reversed-blade sword in hand.  
  
Kaoru had always treated Enishi with the kindness and sincerity of her being, but she could never give him her heart. It had driven him insane and had given him twice the reason to hate the Battousai even more. It was all so wrong, so unethical! Why couldn't the girl ever talk about him with the adoration that she had with the ruroni? Why couldn't her eyes soften whenever she looked at him like she did with Himura? The fool did not deserve Kamiya's love. The man that had murdered his sister in cold blood was unworthy of her affection and compassion, unworthy to even be in her presence!  
  
Enishi had known that as long as Himura was in the picture, he would never be able to claim Kaoru as his own. Which was why he was adamant as ever to kill the Battousai right in front of Kamiya's own eyes. It was the only way she would be able to see that despite of his cold and aloof demeanor, Enishi really cared about her. It was the only way he could prove that he was willing to do anything to keep her by his side.  
  
Even though she was very defiant and unladylike, he had admired her for those very reasons. Her cerulean eyes were alive with a fire that he could not describe and that he had grown to adore. The way she talked, the way she moved, and the way she would act were all characteristic of her free and independent spirit. And what had intrigued Enishi the most was her benevolence. He had slain people in immeasurable numbers, but she was still compassionate enough to make sure he was fed and provide him with company so that he would not fall victim to his overwhelming thoughts of bloodlust and vengeance. He didn't know why, but Kaoru had made him feel tranquil. For the first time since he had lived with his sister, he was actually at peace.  
  
And Enishi didn't want to lose that. He didn't want to lose her. He had already made the decision that Kaoru did not belong to Battousai, but to him.  
  
Enchanted by her presence and senseless by raw emotion, Enishi reached his hand to the end of her ribbon. As she remained motionless and unaware, he removed it with a simple tug, sending her raven hair falling in a thick cascade that went past the small of her back. He heard her gasp out of surprise and felt her twitch, but before she had the chance to react, he buried his face in her wet hair. She was so shocked that she was paralyzed. Kaoru was frozen as she felt him nuzzle against her slender neck, his strong arms wrapping themselves around her, entrapping her. Her knees nearly gave out when his lips grazed her shoulder as he tangled himself within the soft mass of her hair. She had never expected that the man who had kidnapped her and had the intention of killing the person she loved to be the same one to trap her in an embrace. To her, it was frightening.  
  
But something in her heart told her that it had felt right...that it was meant to be.  
  
'No, I love Kenshin!' her mind screamed at her, and she acted on that logic by attempting to break away from Enishi's arms. She tried to push away from him, but he was the stronger one and kept her bound against his muscular chest. He didn't want to let her go, and she knew it. There wasn't any use in struggling either. Yukishiro Enishi was a man of iron will.  
  
"When Himura arrives, you will not return to Tokyo with him," he whispered into her ear, his warm breath sending tremors down her spine. "You will stay with me."  
  
She couldn't tell whether he was making a threat or making a statement. Kaoru didn't know how to react, her heart and her mind engaged in a deep conflict.  
  
"I-I can't." She said, feeling the tears she was trying to hold back earlier running down her cheeks. "I have to go back home-"  
  
"This is your home." He cut her off, his arms tightening possessively around her frail body.  
  
Something in her wanted to agree with Enishi, but she continued to fight it. "No, I have to leave. With Kenshin."  
  
He nearly snarled upon hearing the name as if it were an uttered blasphemy. She was still convinced that she was in love with Battousai. She wouldn't submit to his will, but rather rebel against it. Such stubbornness.  
  
His arms suddenly whirled her around so that his turquoise eyes could see her lovely face. He saw the tears dripping down her pale cheeks, making her eyes glow like shards of bright sapphire. Acting on emotion rather than his mind, he bent down to her face and his lips locked onto her rosy ones. He felt her body tense in his arms, but he only intensified the kiss, tasting her untainted sweetness. Everything that he had experienced, his sorrow, his hatred, his love, his very being, was shared with her through their lips.  
  
This was the first time she had experienced the kiss of a man who truly loved her. She felt a hot blush spreading across her face, her mind at a standstill as he kissed her. This was not the same Yukishiro Enishi who had taken her by force and acknowledged her with the utmost egotism and indifference that had made him feared. He was a different man, completely stripped of his cruelty. If anything, he was not a cold-blooded murderer, but a human.  
  
A strange happiness elated her spirits as she was overpowered by his suffocating kiss, imprisoned in his strong embrace. Both were too lost in their passion to regard the rain as it poured over the island. 


	2. Sakura

Heart and Soul  
  
Chapter One: Sakura  
  
He was sick of it all. Tired of mourning, of feeling guilt-ridden. It has been four months since the Battousai had defeated him and returned to Tokyo with Kamiya in his possession. Once again, he was robbed of his peace of mind thanks to Himura. Now, he had stolen two women from his life.  
  
There was no word in any native tongue that could do Enishi's rage justice. After learning that his sister had actually loved the man whom had been the same one to murder her, Enishi saw that killing Battousai wasn't what Tomoe had wanted. He realized that his sister never rewarded him with her sweet smile because she didn't want to see Himura's blood spilled. She didn't wish for her little brother to be overwhelmed by the homicidal urge to kill the assassin that she had loved so much.  
  
Enishi wasn't sure WHAT Tomoe wanted from him anymore.  
  
After spending endless hours drowning in his guilt, he decided that enough was enough. Mourning was never going to bring Tomoe back, neither will it do him any good. He will still always miss his older sister, but he remembered that he was a warrior of pride. Wasting away and feeling sorry for himself was no way to seek redemption and forgiveness from his sister.  
  
Problem was that he didn't know how to start living again.  
  
He had always lived for the purpose of murdering Battousai. There wasn't a day that passed by that he didn't think of feeling the blade of his sword piercing the pale skin of Himura, bathing in the blood that would seep out from the opened wounds. Oh, how he dreamed of it with childish delight as if he were a young boy again and waiting out the days of anticipation until a summer festival would take place. He planned on living in peace after "avenging" his sister. But now that he knew that killing Battousai wouldn't make his sister happy, Enishi wasn't sure what to do with his life. All he knew was that he was lost, frustrated, and most of all, lonely.  
  
A pair of vivacious sapphire blue eyes and a lively smile crossed vividly in his mind. He clenched his fist at the memory, but he didn't force it back into the recesses of his mind. As much as Kamiya had irritated him, she had given him a sense of comfort that no one else save his late sister could provide him with. Her cooking was horrendous, her manners quite atrocious, but Enishi couldn't lie to himself that he held a place in his heart for her.  
  
His mind wandered to his island fortress, where the storm was the fiercest one that particular day. He had kissed Kaoru in the rain, his lips savoring hers as she was stunned in his arms. He didn't know what had come over him then. He just felt the need to show her that Himura could never love her the way he did, even if Enishi was reluctant to show it. That kiss was his way of communicating how he felt about her. He wanted her to know that she was much more to him than a living embodiment of his deceased sister. If anything, Kaoru was nothing like Tomoe. However, that didn't change the fact that his soul ached for her, yearning for her to soothe his fears as she had done when she was on his island.  
  
Enishi wondered many a night if the kiss had meant anything to Kaoru. He was disappointed that afterwards she muttered an apology and retreated to her room. Before Battousai finally came to rescue her, Kaoru didn't return his affection for her. She didn't say or do anything that indicated the slightest possibility that she had even liked him more than an acquaintance. Enishi was left to think that she still had feelings for Battousai, and that was enough to reconsider whether or not he should have disembowel the ruroni with his own hands.  
  
Every day that he wallowed in loneliness, the thought of killing Himura grew more pleasing to him.  
  
But that wasn't his escape from his own personal hell. If he ever did change his mind and did indeed murder Battousai, Enishi was certain that his sister, bless her soul, would condemn him for this eternity and the next. And then there was Kaoru. She would certainly not even look at him again if Enishi had slain the redheaded fool. Her girlish infatuation with Battousai was proof of that. He wasn't on speaking terms with Kamiya now...but the thought of the pretty tomboy never speaking to him tied his heart in knots of discomfort.  
  
"...Kaoru..." he whispered her name like a gentle prayer, her name disappearing softly into the spring breeze that wafted through his ivory hair.  
  
He had missed those petty arguments that he had enjoyed with her. They were much like duelists, assaulting each other with words, which served as weapons for them. He would never admit that he was wrong or inferior, and Kaoru wouldn't give him the pleasure of proving her wrong. Her pride wouldn't allow it. He liked how flushed her cheeks would get and how her blue eyes were afire with life. Enishi always mused to himself how cute she was when she was angry.  
  
And yet she was helpless, although she didn't want anyone to see it. Kaoru was skilled for a female warrior, but she couldn't hold her own against his skill or that of Battousai's. The problem with her was that she was only taught how to defend herself and other people. Her fighting style was much too idealistic. It preached about protecting life, and never fighting to do anything else. He doubted that Kaoru had ever had her hands soaked in another's blood: her discipline and her morality refused to. It was that particular factor that was her greatest flaw. She might know how to fight, but it was her tender heart that hindered her greatly.  
  
'But I can protect her,' the thought rang with the clarity of a silver bell in his mind. Kaoru would never have the courage to kill someone if her life was in danger, but Enishi did. Battousai nearly died trying to take her back to Tokyo from him when they battled on his island. Had it not been for the memory of his sister, Enishi would have gladly severed the former hitokiri's head and keep Kaoru all to himself.  
  
"I...I love him, and I always will..."  
  
Jealous rage and abhorrence pierced his calm thoughts from recalling Kamiya's words. It had eaten him inside to keep remembering them. What really killed Enishi was that Kaoru was barely seventeen or eighteen years of age, and already she was certain that she loved Battousai. Barely an adult, if anything, she was still a foolish girl to Enishi.  
  
'Sister, what should I do?'  
  
He conjured the stoic image of Tomoe in his mind. For several months after the whole incident on his island, he didn't see his sister smile. She was always just staring at him with her mahogany eyes, an expression of sorrow painted on her porcelain face.  
  
But now, that was different.  
  
She didn't look like what one would call 'happy' or 'ecstatic', but she wasn't frowning. Instead, Enishi could've sworn that her lips were drawn into a ghost of a thin-lipped smile. It wasn't a truly joyous smile like the one he had wanted to see, but it was a smile nonetheless.  
  
It was then that Enishi's mind was made up. He stood onto his feet and gazed meditatively at the blue, cloudless sky.  
  
He decided that he was going to turn his back on Japan and return to Shanghai.  
  
With Kamiya Kaoru.  
  
* * * *  
  
"I'm going!"  
  
"Yahiko, wait!" A vexed Kaoru called out to her younger student.  
  
"I can't, ugly! I'm gonna be late!" The boy yelled impatiently, but stopped when he saw his sensei running up to him with something in her hands.  
  
"A few seconds won't hurt," Kaoru growled and immediately presented him with a package tied neatly in yellow cloth. "Here. It's your lunch."  
  
He looked in astonishment at the package, and smirked widely. "Yeah right, Kaoru. If I want to be poisoned, I would drink snake venom-"  
  
A swift strike with his sensei's fist had instantly interrupted him. Yahiko immediately nursed the pulsing bump on his head while muttering curses under his breath.  
  
"What the hell did you do that for?!?" He screamed, his hands rubbing his head.  
  
"You little brat! I cook for you thinking that you might want something to eat at work and this is how you repay me!" A fuming Kaoru snarled. "You're so ungrateful!"  
  
"Fine, I'll take the damn food!" He said, snatching the package away from her delicate hands.  
  
"Stop that!" His sensei scolded, her blue eyes glaring accusingly at the younger boy. "You shouldn't swear in front of a woman."  
  
A look of menace crossed Yakiho's features. "Is that so? I could've sworn that you were a man in a kimono."  
  
Her face completely turned red as her hands clenched into tight fists.  
  
"You're way too ugly to be a lady!"  
  
Yahiko immediately turned around and sprinted forward with all the speed his adolescent body could muster. He laughed tauntingly at a furious Kaoru, whose tight kimono did little to keep up with him. By the time she reached the entrance, the little bastard was already gone, a trail of dust following after him.  
  
"I hope you choke on your lunch, Yahiko!!!" she screamed, her voice embodying all the fury that had sent her into a murderous rage.  
  
She turned away from the entrance and stomped angrily to the steps of her house, grumbling and pouting as she did. The soft breeze did little to calm her nerves as she sat on one of the steps. She took a deep breath and exhaled in an attempt to regain her composure. She inhaled the clean air that was perfumed lightly with the scent of newly bloomed cherry blossoms, closing her eyes as her ears took in the melodic chirping of nearby sparrows.  
  
But as much as she tried, the grinning, rebellious boy appeared in her thoughts, promptly sticking his tongue out at her and laughing boastfully.  
  
She felt her fist clenching. 'Ugh, that snot-nosed little monster! Just wait until he comes back from work!'  
  
Kaoru stood up and tilted her chin skywards. Her sapphire eyes mirrored the endless blue abyss of the sky above her. Her anger slowly drained out of her as she was calmed by the beauty of the vast sky that seemed to quell her irritation.  
  
"It's no use being angry over that brat," she spoke to herself as she rose from the steps of her dojo. The beauty of the spring day was just too tempting. Deciding that it wasn't worth wasting such a pleasant day by pondering the mischievous actions of a foolish boy, Kaoru decided to take a walk along the dirt road to clear her thoughts.  
  
Her sandals padded softly along the dirt as she left the dojo. The breeze continued to tease her as it ran its fingers through the long strands of her raven hair. The nearby stream gleamed with a brilliant luster as if it were a sheet of glass underneath the late morning sun. A thin veil of mist hung about her surroundings as Kaoru walked further, her thoughts engulfing her with their intensity. The breeze, as if unsatisfied with her depressed state, wafted through the branches of the cherry trees. In an instant, light scarlet petals were loosened from their branches and descended with the grace of feathers. The blossoms soundlessly drifted onto the air, showering onto the young lady.  
  
However, Kaoru's eyes did not light up with childish delight as they had often done. Instead, seeing the pink flowers had only awakened memories of unpredictable, yet happier, days.  
  
She saw herself walking beside the ruroni as they passed by the blossom-laden trees. The petals floated gently in the wind as they were engaged in conversation. Kaoru remembered that she did her best to keep Kenshin's attention on what they were talking about. She knew that the ghosts of his past had haunted him to no end, so she tried to stray him away from those horrifying memories. With girlish infatuation and a cheerfulness that was so characteristic of her nature, she would walk side- by-side with him, commenting on how perfect the weather was or how beautiful the cherry blossoms were.  
  
But as much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't quite get through to Kenshin. He would smile politely and agree with her statements, but he was always so distant. The crimson-haired ruroni wasn't at her side, but he was mercilessly ripping through hordes of soldiers in the time of a darker era. He was so overwhelmed by how many lives that he had taken that he could never forget about the past.  
  
Which was exactly why Kenshin had left the Kamiya dojo.  
  
She stopped in her tracks, her head bent low as her small shoulders slumped over. It was here where they had said good-bye. Where Kenshin had wished her for a happy future as the silent trees had stood witness. The moon had illuminated the purple eyes and the endless crimson hair that she had found so attractive. A sad smile was painted on his youthful features as his solemn eyes held hers that night.  
  
Kenshin had left because of his guilt. He told her that he had hated himself for allowing Kaoru to be kidnapped, even though he was the same one to rescue her. He had left with the intention of keeping Kaoru and the others safe by leaving them.  
  
"Kenshin..." she involuntarily spoke his name, sorrow tingeing her voice.  
  
There was no doubt that Kaoru had fallen in love with Himura Kenshin. She had always looked up to him as a compassionate person who always put the needs of others before his own. It was his willingness to sacrifice himself that had infuriated her as well. He was so caught up with his guilt and willingness to sacrifice his own happiness that he had neglected her. Kaoru didn't hold a grudge against the ruroni, but it had hurt her to see him so ridden with sin.  
  
And that was why she had to let him go on his way. Kaoru knew she had no right over other people's choices, and Kenshin was of no exception. Still, the pain had stung like a freshly inflicted wound. The ache of having your heart broken from someone you deeply cared about was a new experience to Kaoru. She had spent several days in her room shedding tears, but she soon came to the realization that her father didn't raise her to cry over someone who couldn't return her affection.  
  
'Such a lovesick fool,' she thought cynically to herself. She gasped when she had heard her own thoughts. She had recognized those same words somewhere in the remnants of her memories...  
  
Yukishiro Enishi had told her the same thing.  
  
Her cheeks immediately turned scarlet after remembering the intimate kiss he had shared with her on his island. It was all so sudden and unexpected that she still couldn't get over it. Out of all the men in her life, she wasn't counting on receiving a kiss from the one who had kidnapped her in order to fulfill his Jinchuu.  
  
Shaking her head, she attempted once more to free herself from her deep thoughts. Kaoru remembered that she took this walk to get away from drowning in nostalgia and frustration, not to return to them again. Her blue eyes caught a branch that was adorned generously with the full, blushing faces of newly born blossoms. Kaoru felt an urge to steal one from its parent tree. Feeling like a little girl again, she drew near the tree and tried to snatch the branch with her hands. Much to her displeasure, she was only grasping air. Biting her lip with determination, Kaoru stood on her toes and attempted again to snap the branch, but to no avail.  
  
"Oh, come on!" she cried agitatedly, feeling as if the beautiful flowers were taunting her.  
  
Out of nowhere, a masculine hand had reached for the branch and, with one swift motion, snapped it and held it in its grasp. Kaoru let out a small gasp and her eyes traveled to the owner of the hand. Sapphire eyes widened as her mouth hung open in surprise when she met the familiar, stoic face of the man who was once her captor.  
  
"...Enishi...?"  
  
His turquoise eyes glimmered with amusement, but as always the dark shades of his glasses had hidden them from the shocked girl. "Lovely day, isn't it, Kamiya?"  
  
She didn't even nod: her disbelief had her dumbstruck. Enishi felt a smirk tugging the corner of his mouth. His hand went out to her, presenting the captured flowers before the astonished girl.  
  
"Here. I believe you wanted these."  
  
Kaoru's eyes darted away from his face and to the cherry blossoms that she had just attempted to get in vain. Her hands slowly took the flowers from Enishi's surprisingly gentle grip, a red blush warming her cheeks.  
  
"D-domo arigato..." 


	3. The Kidnapping

Heart and Soul  
  
Chapter Two: The Kidnapping  
  
Kaoru walked in silence as the white-haired man next to her kept his steady pace. She couldn't bring herself to look her former captor in the face. She was still trying to recover from the shock of seeing him in the first place. Who would ever known that a walk down a road that she had been so familiar with would end up in an unexpected visit by the same man who used her for his Jinchuu?  
  
As they walked, Enishi studied her from his dark shades. She had grown more beautiful in her absence. Her black hair had grown longer, and the ends of her bangs still dangled above a pair of bright, vivacious eyes. The blue kimono she had worn complemented her eyes perfectly while the matching red and white obi encircled her waist, emphasizing her small girth. He had noticed the embroidered pattern of cherry blossoms decorating the cloth, and thought it had suited her well.  
  
In spite of her shock, she remembered her manners and cleared her throat. "So, why are you here, Enishi?"  
  
Enishi couldn't help but smile. He knew that the girl was still in a state of surprise even though she was trying to hide it behind the face of hospitality.  
  
"No specific reason," he replied calmly. "Just business."  
  
She studied him thoughtfully with her sapphire eyes. Kaoru knew that he was the head of an organization in China that illegally sold and traded weapons. The thought of him still being a salesman of death pained her inside.  
  
"I have severed my ties with the crime syndicate," he spoke as if he could read her thoughts. "I've decided to retire from dealing arms."  
  
He saw the small smile that lit up her radiant face momentarily. However, Enishi was upset when her rosy lips had suddenly formed a frown.  
  
"But...what's going to happen to you?" She asked him, the depths of her sapphire eyes swirling with concern. "What if someone from the syndicate doesn't agree with your decision?"  
  
He chuckled out of amusement and tore his turquoise eyes away from her. "You seem worried, Kamiya. Are you afraid for my safety?" He taunted her.  
  
She looked away from him and concentrated on the dirt path ahead of them, a warm blush reaching her cheeks. "Well...yes."  
  
Surprised by her answer, Enishi halted in his tracks. Kaoru did the same, folding her hands in front of her in nervousness. "I'm just worried about what might happen. Criminals aren't exactly the most understanding people in the world, you know? What if the syndicate comes after you, Enishi? You could be in danger."  
  
He smiled at her genuine concern for him. It has been four months since the last time he had seen her, and Kamiya hadn't changed a bit. She still had the ability to look past the wrongdoings that people had committed and accept them even if her decision was against common logic. Rather than look down on him for his sins, Kaoru was worried about Enishi. The benevolence of her heart truly was astounding.  
  
That had made him want her even more.  
  
"Don't trouble yourself, Kamiya. No one would even think about raising a weapon against me. I would slaughter them before they even had the chance."  
  
Much to Kaoru's disappointment, Enishi's pride and arrogance had failed to leave him. However, her mouth curved into a small smile.  
  
"I said that I had severed my ties with the syndicate, but that doesn't mean that I still don't have connections to keep me informed."  
  
Sighing, her eyes concentrated on the drifting petals that rode the gentle breeze. "You always were certain of yourself," she commented sarcastically.  
  
"I have every reason to be."  
  
Kaoru rolled her eyes and the couple continued their walk without exchanging another word. The path finally led them to the gates of the Kamiya dojo. She parted them and her visitor followed suit. Kaoru walked up the wooden steps of her home and swiftly pushed the screen aside, stepping in afterwards. She removed her sandals and Enishi mirrored her by taking off his slippers and placing them at the entrance. He closed the screen and trailed after Kaoru.  
  
"I'm going to make some tea. Would you like some?" She asked him, playing hostess.  
  
Enishi smiled politely and nodded and followed her into the kitchen. It was not exactly grand, but it was nicely kept and tidy. After he was bored of examining the kitchen, his turquoise eyes proceeded to study Kaoru as she boiled the water.  
  
"Where's the boy?" He asked, breaking the awkward silence.  
  
Realizing that he was inquiring about her student, she cast him a side glance. "Yahiko's in town. He works at a restaurant."  
  
"Is he your source of income?" Enishi asked.  
  
Not knowing what he was trying to imply, she kept her eyes on the kettle. "The money he makes helps us out, but I support for both of us by giving lessons."  
  
Enishi scoffed. "A woman shouldn't be the provider of a household."  
  
Kaoru's eyebrows knitted together in irritation at the comment. "I could make money as well as any man."  
  
"That's not the point," he replied, his turquoise eyes glinting with amusement at how quick she was to snap at him.  
  
"Then what is?"  
  
"I'm just saying that the matter of money shouldn't have to be dealt by you," he coolly responded. "If anyone, that boy should take of it."  
  
"Yahiko is still a child," Kaoru said as she removed the kettle and began to prepare the tea. "I took him into my care. It isn't right for me to count on him to support us."  
  
"But since Battousai and Sagara left, he is the only male left in this household."  
  
Kaoru nearly dropped the kettle. She looked at the smug white-haired man with disbelief and surprise.  
  
"...how did you...?" She quickly concealed her shock with anger. "Have you been spying on me?"  
  
He smirked. "Is the tea done yet?" He asked generously. Kaoru glared at him before turning back to prepare the drinks. After a few minutes, she set out two cups and placed the heated kettle in the center of the table next to the cherry blossoms that Enishi was kind enough to retrieve for her earlier.  
  
Biting her lip to keep herself from strangling answers out of Enishi, she poured the tea into his cup and he gratefully took it. She filled her own to the brim and stared at her guest in silence.  
  
She sat there, waiting for Enishi to explain himself. But being the villain that he was, the answers never came as the man peacefully sipped his tea.  
  
"...well?" Kaoru finally asked.  
  
"Well what?"  
  
Enishi's smirk grew wider when he saw the girl's eyes glare at him with contempt.  
  
"How did you know that Kenshin and Sano left?"  
  
He set his tea down onto the table. "When I said I had connections, I didn't mean just in Shanghai. There are some stationed in Japan as well."  
  
"You were watching Kenshin this whole time, then?"  
  
He took another sip. "Of course. I needed to know where he was located in order to carry out my Jinchuu."  
  
Sorrow welled up in her blue eyes. Kaoru had prayed for Enishi to find peace after the whole ordeal at his island fortress was over. She had foolishly hoped that after reading Tomoe's diary, he would realize how much his sister had loved Kenshin and give up on his revenge. But now, she wasn't certain of what Enishi's motives were.  
  
"If you knew he was gone," she interrupted, not caring that her tea was getting cold. "Then why did you come?"  
  
"I already told you. I'm here on business."  
  
"But with whom?"  
  
Enishi's smugness disappeared from his turquoise eyes and was replaced by a solemn, brooding look. Kaoru had noticed that his cup was empty, so she replenished it with more steaming tea, her ears waiting for an answer.  
  
"...I have something I need to discuss with you."  
  
Her eyes failed to hide her alarm, but she tried to keep her composure. "What do you want to talk to me about?"  
  
Enishi cast his eyes downward from Kaoru's young face, avoiding the stare of her expectant sapphire eyes. She had sensed the sudden change in his manner and instantly grew concerned. Enishi was a man of pride and was always confident enough to make direct eye contact. He never acted like this before.  
  
"Enishi?" she spoke his name. "What's wrong?"  
  
"...I want you to come with me."  
  
The simple statement had sent her into a tumult of bewilderment. Her unblinking eyes widened and she felt a blush creep over her face.  
  
"Come with you? W-where?"  
  
"To Shanghai," he remarked, his confidence returning to him. Turquoise eyes stared at her with a look of unfamiliar gentleness. "I want you to return with me there."  
  
Her mind couldn't register what he was saying. An unsettling feeling overcame her as she remembered the day when Enishi had made a similar statement before he had kissed her. If she wasn't blushing before, she certainly was now.  
  
"But why?" were the only words she could manage, her voice personifying her confusion.  
  
"Why else?" He rose from his seat and stood confidently over Kaoru, his shadow looming over her small figure. "To stay with me."  
  
Kaoru's blue eyes studied his face, but then she lowered her gaze. She needed to concentrate on the tea kettle, the freshly picked flowers, on anything else. She couldn't look at Enishi at that moment.  
  
"You...can't be serious..." She said, knowing full well that Enishi wasn't playing some horrible joke on her, much to her disappointment.  
  
A look of frustration crossed his turquoise eyes, but he persisted. "I am."  
  
Her head bent lower, her raven bangs obscuring her sapphire eyes. He was agitated that she wasn't reacting the way that he had hoped she would.  
  
"I want you to come with me," He repeated, attempting to remain calm so he wouldn't frighten the tomboy. "To leave Japan and live with me in Shanghai."  
  
Seeing that Enishi wouldn't give up, Kaoru's deep gaze traveled to his face. "Enishi...I can't."  
  
White brows creased as he felt the rejection of the girl's words sinking into him. "Why? What reason would you have to stay here?"  
  
"I have a lot of reasons to stay," Kaoru insisted, her eyes never leaving his. "I need to run my father's dojo. I can't let it go into ruin. And then there's Yahiko. As I said, I took him into my care. There's no way that I could just gather my things and go—"  
  
"I'll leave him money," Enishi interrupted, his voice coming alive with passion.  
  
"He needs more than money, Enishi. He needs a family, too."  
  
"Why does he need you to be his family?" he seethed through gritted teeth.  
  
"Because he has no one else!" Kaoru exclaimed. "He's not even a teenager yet! How would he be able to take care of himself without anyone else to look after him?"  
  
A mixture of anguish and jealousy began to brew inside of Enishi. He couldn't accept the fact that Kaoru refused to depart from her home because of some insignificant boy.  
  
No...there was some other reason that she wanted to remain here...  
  
"Don't lie to me, Kamiya," he stated accusingly, throwing off the girl. "You don't expect me to believe that you won't leave Tokyo because of your ties with some brat, do you?"  
  
"What are you getting at?" She asked crossly.  
  
"It's Battousai," he watched her wince at the title of his brother-in- law. "He's the reason you wish to stay here. You're still infatuated with the bastard, aren't you?" He asked darkly.  
  
Her cheeks swelled with the blood that was rushing to her face as she diverted her eyes away from her livid guest. "Kenshin has nothing to do with this."  
  
"I believe that he does," Enishi continued, his voice dripping with venomous resentment. "I should've known that you would be too naïve to see him for what he really is!"  
  
"I am not naïve!" Kaoru cried indignantly.  
  
"So now you wish to lie to yourself?" He mocked her. "Tell me Kamiya, did he promise you that he would return? Did he?!?"  
  
She noticed the escalation of his voice and she grew cautious. "He didn't say when he would come back."  
  
A maniacal laugh rumbled through his chest, his turquoise eyes full of contempt. "You're such a fool! He's not going to return!"  
  
"How would you know that?" She asked, fearing the possibility that he might be right. However, she kept her concern for the red-haired ruroni hidden, feeling that she had to deal with Enishi first and foremost.  
  
"Because of his guilt!" He ranted, fury underlining every word. "The weight of his sins is too heavy for him to ignore!"  
  
"Which is why he is going to return," she softly replied. "This is his home. Kenshin left to make peace with his past so he would be able to come back here."  
  
"You defend him," A look of disgust was apparent in his expression. "After all he has done, you still protect him as if he had never taken a single life in the first place."  
  
She didn't say anything, but stared back at Enishi with her blue eyes.  
  
"It's sickening."  
  
Kaoru watched in sympathy as he slumped back onto the ground, drawing his knees to his muscular chest as his hands yanked at his unruly white hair. She didn't hear any sobbing, but his body was wracked with heavy, irregular breaths. Feeling as if she was the one who had pushed him to such limits, Kaoru approached him.  
  
"Why?" His muffled voice asked her. "Why won't you come with me?"  
  
Her heart heavy with guilt and sorrow, she knelt at his side. "I already told you, Enishi. I have responsibilities here."  
  
"Liar!" he yelled at her, startling the kendo instructor. "You're waiting for him to come back!"  
  
Sapphire eyes watched the white-haired man before her in deep thought. Never had Kaoru seen Enishi act this way, not even on the night before Kenshin had brought her back to Tokyo. He wasn't acting like the indifferent, arrogant man that she was so accustomed to.  
  
He was like an insecure child throwing a fit.  
  
Kaoru gently wrapped her delicate arms around him, her face partially buried in his ivory hair. Her breath tickled the back of his neck, and his hands slowly fell to his sides as he remained in her soothing embrace.  
  
"Enishi...I can't go with you," she stated, the tone of her voice stern yet compassionate at the same time. "My life is here in Tokyo. I can't abandon the people I care about and the only home I have known."  
  
She tightened her hold when he had flinched from hearing her words. It pained her to know that she was hurting him, but she couldn't lie to him. It wouldn't be fair to Enishi.  
  
"I can't leave. I just can't."  
  
He continued to be silent with Kaoru's arms enveloping him. His ragged breathing gradually returned to normal, giving the tomboy a bit of comfort. She still held him in her arms in hopes that she would bring some sort of consolation to his already tormented soul.  
  
Kaoru was so worried about him in fact that she failed to see his hand slipping into his blue tunic.  
  
He turned his head slightly so that his turquoise eyes focused on her blue ones. His expression didn't bear any semblance of distress or anger. To both Kaoru's surprise and relief, he appeared rather calm.  
  
"You will come with me."  
  
Before she could even register the words, Kaoru found herself pinned down onto the floor in a fraction of a second. She was rendered immobile by the weight of Enishi's powerfully built body, her frail hands bound above her head by one of his own. She struggled in vain, too shocked and too trapped to perform any evasive maneuvering.  
  
Her sapphire eyes shot up to Enishi, doing little to hide the sense of betrayal that she had felt. Kaoru then caught glimpse of the cloth he held in his free hand, and the realization struck her.  
  
Enishi had no intention of returning to Shanghai without her.  
  
He smothered her lips and nose with the cloth, suffocating her with the heavy scent of chloroform. Turquoise eyes observed as the girl thrashed her head wildly, trying with all of her might to free her hands, but to no avail. In a matter of seconds, the actions of her body became lethargic and she ceased to move all together. Enishi's eyes lingered on her sleeping form for a while longer, enthralled by how peaceful she looked. Her eyes were shut and her unblemished face had worn the visage of a dreamless slumber. He had noticed that her ribbon had come undone during her futile struggle, causing her raven hair to spread from underneath her.  
  
Enishi rose onto his feet, satisfied that Kaoru would be accompanying him back to China. He knew that there would be hell to pay when she would wake up, but he was willing to face that consequence.  
  
Kaoru was worth all the trouble of attaining. There wasn't anything that could convince him otherwise.  
  
He left her in her unconscious state to gather her clothes. Enishi was certain that Kaoru would want more than a simple bathrobe to wear during her stay in Shanghai.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! This is my first Ruroni Kenshin fic, and I'm very grateful to receive support. I hope you truly have enjoyed this story.  
  
And for those of you who don't know, 'Jinchuu' means humanly justice. In other words, 'revenge'. 


	4. Hope

Heart and Soul  
  
Chapter Three: Hope  
  
"I'm home!"  
  
Yahiko's boyish voice rang through the solitude of the dojo, but all he received was silence.  
  
Puzzled, he removed his sandals at the entrance and noticed that Kaoru's were gone.  
  
"That's weird," he commented. "She doesn't usually go anywhere when it's dinner time."  
  
At the thought of dinner, Yahiko's stomach responded with a rumbling growl. He patted it and continued his search for his sensei.  
  
"Hey, busu!!!" He shouted, heading toward the kitchen. "Are you deaf or something? Why aren't you—"  
  
An empty kitchen greeted his auburn eyes. To his confusion, there was no Kaoru setting the table with hot, steaming bowls of rice and grilled fish. She wasn't there placing teacups next to their chopsticks, or scolding him to be patient for dinner.  
  
A shiver of panic ran through his mind, but he forced himself to ignore it. Remembering the absence of her sandals, he figured that she was outside in the courtyard. Yahiko left the kitchen and slid the shoji screen aside at the end of the hallway, expecting to find his sensei practicing swings with her shinai.  
  
But instead, he only found the stoic bushes and trees that were drenched in the dying light of the sunset. Kaoru wasn't here, either.  
  
His panic heightening to a new level, he rushed back into the house and went back into the kitchen. Perhaps there was something that he had missed, something he didn't notice...  
  
His auburn eyes searched the room, and suddenly caught sight of a white, bulging envelope lying still on the surface of the table. He must have overlooked its presence during his alarmed state.  
  
Snatching it off the table, Yahiko took it into his hands, and promptly ripped the top off.  
  
He looked back into the contents of the envelope and found a thick wad of money tucked within it. His eyes nearly stuck out of his head at the sight of it.  
  
'Where did all this money come from?!' He thought in his amazement. There was no way that she could have made that much money from giving lessons, and Yahiko was certain that the yen in the envelope wasn't from the pay that he made at the Akabeko.  
  
'This doesn't feel right...' he ranted in his mind. Why would she leave, and if she did, how the hell did she get this much money? She didn't even leave him a letter to tell him where she had gone. It wasn't like Kaoru to pick up her things and go on short notice.  
  
Disturbed and perplexed, Yahiko went to Kaoru's room and entered. He looked through her closet to find that a good deal of her kimonos was missing.  
  
'...where did she go?' he asked himself, closing the screen to her room. He stood in the hallway in silence, feeling utterly alone. By the absence of her clothes, Yahiko assumed that she must've packed her things for a long trip. If that were true, a part of him wished that she had stayed with him to share one last meal with him, or at least say good-bye.  
  
He shook his head, disgusted by how sentimental he was getting over someone as ugly and stupid as his sensei. He should be all right by himself with the money she left him. It wasn't as if he was still an infant that needed a parent to take care of him.  
  
...but still...where could she have possibly gone, and what had happened that was significant enough for her to just leave without saying so much as a good-bye?  
  
Yahiko growled, putting back on his sandals. He figured that he would have to go to Megumi's clinic to hopefully get some information and his dinner tonight.  
  
Shutting the screen, he practically flew down the steps and sprinted in the direction of the lady doctor's clinic. The sky was taking on an orange hue as the light of day was slowly fading away. Hints of visible stars shone faintly as night approached.  
  
Thoughts of his sensei ran through his mind, the wind rustling through his spiky black hair as he ran.  
  
* * * *  
  
"I...I don't feel so well..."  
  
A wave of nausea swept over her numb body. Her eyelids felt heavy and her mind was completely exhausted as if she had slept for an eternity. She tried to prop herself up with her arms, but they laid limp at her sides, unable to move.  
  
"...what's going on?" she asked herself, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"You shouldn't try to move."  
  
Her eyes opened to a crease upon hearing the familiar, a white haze blurring her vision.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You've been sleeping for a few hours now."  
  
"Where am I?" she questioned the owner of the voice.  
  
"Someplace safe," was the steady reply. "How are you feeling?"  
  
For some reason, she found the voice to be quite soothing. "I'm...I'm kind of hungry."  
  
A small chuckle. "I'll go get something for you to eat. Stay here."  
  
She heard solid footsteps gradually fading away and a door softly closing. The haze was still there, but for some reason, she wasn't scared. Her mind was in a state of ignorant bliss.  
  
Getting the feeling back into her limbs, Kaoru shifted her arms. Her palms grabbed a handful of soft material that she found to be quite comfortable. She snuggled against the material and pulled it around her, darkness enclosing her.  
  
'It feels really nice,' she thought, wrapping herself deeper into the material.  
  
The feel of cotton brushing gently against her skin...it had made her feel like she was back at her home, hiding under the blanket of her futon from the morning sunlight.  
  
...home...  
  
Her eyes snapped wide open, and she instantly sat up. The white haze slowly disappeared, revealing a spacious room. There was a large window, but there was no light; only the dim glow of a few lanterns had provided her with luminosity.  
  
Kaoru found herself in a king-sized bed. White cotton sheets were thrown aside when she had roused herself from a state of unconsciousness.  
  
"Where am I?" she asked frantically, immediately slipping off the bed. Her blue kimono was wrinkled and her hair was in a state of disarray, but those were the least of her worries.  
  
Her feet touched the floor, and she realized that they were deprived of the sandals that she had worn this morning. Pushing that thought aside, Kaoru's first initiative was to find an escape. Her eyes caught sight of a door and she immediately rushed to it. Her hand caught hold of the doorknob and she wrenched it open.  
  
Who was there on the other side threw her into a state of utter shock.  
  
Wild hair as white as freshly fallen snow and mischievous dark turquoise eyes greeted her. His lean and muscular figure towered over her, his hands supporting a tray with a bowl of rice and soup on it. The customary tinted shades were absent from their usual place on the bridge of his nose, but the corner of the thin lips was drawn in a familiar smirk.  
  
"Sleep well?"  
  
Blue eyes widened and rosy lips opened and closed again, uttering no more than a baffled stutter.  
  
Enishi kept himself from laughing at the bewilderment playing on the girl's face. But his smirk was still present, enraging Kaoru to the point that her confusion was forgotten.  
  
His eyes smiling with a secret that he didn't want to share, he set down the tray on a nearby table. He could feel her stare on him as he moved. Enishi could only imagine the frantic state her mind must have been in.  
  
And thinking about that just made him want to laugh more.  
  
"Here," he spoke, indicating the soup. "It tastes almost as terrible as your cooking, but it was all that the chef of this ship had—"  
  
He was interrupted by something hard crashing onto the side of his head. The assault sent a throbbing ache into his head, but he was more annoyed than injured.  
  
Enishi cast a sideways glance to see a fuming Kamiya, a limp sandal in her right hand. He assumed she found it where he had placed it with the other one at the foot of her bed. It didn't take long for the realization to hit.  
  
The girl had regained her memory.  
  
"Was that really necessary?" he asked coolly.  
  
Kamiya's small form bristled with anger. "You arrogant, sneaky, underhanded JERK!!!"  
  
He leaned back on the edge of the table, curls of steam slowly rose from the soup he had brought her as she continued.  
  
"—I was worried about you and you took advantage of me by knocking me unconscious!!!"  
  
He did nothing as she drew nearer to him, poking her index finger onto his chest in the middle of her rant.  
  
"You took me away from my home after I specifically told you that I COULDN'T go! I'm hungry, I have a terrible headache, I don't know where I am, and on top of that..."  
  
The fire of her blue eyes burned into him, her finger jabbing him with added emphasis. "You have the NERVE to insult my cooking!!!"  
  
With that, her hand fell from his chest, but her grip didn't loosen on her sandal. She still glared at him, however, he could see that her anger was slowly slipping from her as she took in deep breaths.  
  
"Are you finished?"  
  
She did nothing except throw him another contemptuous look. Grinning smugly, he left his place against the wall and gestured towards the soup once more.  
  
"It will get cold if you keep complaining."  
  
"I have every reason TO complain!" Kaoru exclaimed. "And the least you can do is tell me where I am!"  
  
"You mean you haven't pieced it together yet, Kamiya?" Enishi chuckled. "How typical."  
  
"No, I haven't 'pieced it together yet'. In case you've forgotten, I was unconscious." She shot back at him.  
  
A laugh escaped his smirking lips. Enishi had found the situation all too humorous. Had it been any other woman in Kamiya's place, she would've been whimpering in fear of him. But here she was, offended by his remarks, when she should've been afraid of him.  
  
"We're on a ship that is bound for Shanghai," he explained. "We should be there within a few more days."  
  
Another moment of tense silence settled between them, but it was broken by Kamiya walking briskly towards the door. Seeing this, Enishi grabbed her wrist firmly.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
The determination in her eyes did not waver upon feeling the hand holding onto her wrist. "Home."  
  
"I don't suppose you plan on swimming back to Tokyo, do you?"  
  
"I'm not stupid," she snapped. "I'm going to find the captain and tell him to turn this ship around."  
  
"He's not going to listen to you, Kamiya."  
  
She tried to yank her arm out of his grasp, but he kept her from moving. "Then I'll make him listen!"  
  
"And how do you plan on doing that? Hit him on the head with your sandals?"  
  
"I'll just say that I was kidnapped," she replied.  
  
"And I'll just say that you're lying," Enishi smirked devilishly, pulling her towards him. Kaoru felt her cheeks redden at the close proximity between their lips as he leaned his face over hers.  
  
"Who do you think he would believe? A little tomboy from Tokyo, or me?"  
  
Kaoru blushed upon feeling the warmth of his breath as she spoke, causing her captor to chuckle.  
  
"You might as well face it. You're going to be on this ship until we arrive there."  
  
She stared at him infuriatingly, but he could sense that she was slowly accepting the reality of the matter. Determined or not, there was no possible way that Kamiya could brave those waters and expect to make it back to Tokyo alive. Her will might be made of steel, but her body certainly wasn't.  
  
But that didn't keep her from losing her temper.  
  
"You're so...frustrating!" was all she could come up with, and she sat back on the bed, her head lowered in defeat. She knew he was right, but she would rather die than admit it.  
  
Her long hair was falling out of the high ponytail that she had styled it in this morning. Some of the glossy strands were tangled, and he noted the creases that ran along the sides of her kimono. She buried her face with her hands, slightly rocking back and forth with the motion the ship as it rode the waves of the ocean. Even though he couldn't see her expression, he knew that, despite his intentions, she was upset.  
  
She was probably worried about that brat that she took care of. With the money that he had left at the dojo, the former pickpocket shouldn't have any trouble with meals or other finances. Still, Enishi felt that if he had told her that, she wouldn't find solace in his words.  
  
Perhaps...she was hoping, no praying, for HIM to rescue her.  
  
He gritted his teeth as he forced himself to suppress the ever- growing hatred and jealousy of the rurouni. There was no way that he was going to let his brother-in-law take away his sense of peace again. He wouldn't allow it, not even if it meant for him to fight for her. Enishi already made the mistake of letting Battousai take her away from his island. Kamiya would stay with him in Shanghai, and that murderous bastard wasn't going to ruin his one chance of happiness.  
  
...but looking at her...to see her so downhearted...Enishi couldn't help but regret the brash way that he had taken her from her home. In a sense, he DID kidnap her.  
  
But when they reached the harbors of Shanghai, he would make it all up to her. Eventually, she would see what lengths he was willing to go to for her. He was certain of it.  
  
The minutes passed by like hours with him just staring at her in her dejected state on the bed. Although he had planned on making the arrangements to Shanghai, Enishi didn't know what to do at a time like this. It was obvious she was in need of comforting, but he didn't know how he could make her feel better. If she was upset over leaving Tokyo, Enishi felt that he wasn't the person who could lift her spirits at the moment.  
"You really should eat something," he suddenly spoke. Kaoru slowly lifted her face from her hands and observed him through weary eyes.  
  
"It will be a while until we get to Shanghai. There isn't any sense in starving yourself, is there?"  
  
Kaoru said nothing, and his smugness quickly turned to concern as her small body fell sideways onto the mattress. He was relieved when her hands moved to pull the blankets over her, and she curled into a ball underneath them.  
  
"I need some time alone."  
  
Still worried about her sudden change in character, Enishi couldn't deny the unusual solemnity in Kamiya's voice. Taking one more look at her, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving the girl to her thoughts.  
  
* * * *  
  
She heard the door close, and then silence resounded in her ears. Although she hated being alone, she felt that she had to sort out her thoughts by herself. Now, she had time to let the reality that she wasn't going back to Tokyo sink in. At least not now.  
  
As much as she hated to admit, Enishi was right. Whatever she said to the captain, her captor would just twist the words around. He was good at fabricating lies because of that damned confidence that she had known him for.  
  
Turning onto her back, she stared at the ceiling above her. The scent of the soup was tempting her out of bed, but Kaoru didn't have much of an appetite. She had far more important things going through her head than filling her empty stomach. Like what she was doing on this ship.  
  
It had been so long since she had seen him, after all that had happened on the island. She remembered him being led away in handcuffs as she helplessly watched. Her guilt over the memory was still with her; there was something about Enishi that told her that he didn't deserve what Fate had dealt him. She knew all the horrible crimes he committed, and he was also the same one who had tortured the man she had loved, but her sympathy for the boy who had seen his only sister murdered was unwavering.  
  
But what was all this? She was somewhat glad that Enishi had escaped the police, but what had driven him to Tokyo? If he had known Kenshin was gone, what reason would he have to go there?  
  
"Why does he want me to go with him to Shanghai?" she asked out loud, her thoughts leaving no more room in her head to think.  
  
The lulling motion of the waves rocked the ship along with her body. She felt her eyes slowly weighing down as the urge to sleep became overwhelming. Despite all of her unanswered questions, the need to rest was powerful.  
  
Yawning, she pulled the sheets closer to her and shut her eyes. A warm, comfortable bed was lot more inviting than swimming through frigid waters to get to Tokyo. Tomorrow would bring a new day, and with it, an opportunity to get some answers out of Enishi.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Yahiko, calm down!"  
  
"What do you mean, 'calm down'?!" the boy yelled at the lady doctor. "How the hell can I do that when she's missing?"  
  
Megumi sighed exasperatedly as she did her best to keep up with Yahiko. The absence of Kaoru had prompted him to run all over Tokyo like a maniac. She had gone with him in fear that the boy would run into trouble. Like Kaoru, Yahiko was known to have a quick temper that rivaled that of his sensei's.  
  
After much running through the streets, they had finally reached the docks. The boy ran back and forth, hoping to find Kaoru in the small crowds of merchants and sailors. Megumi watched as he painstakingly loomed through the people, disregarding those he had bumped into.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss?" a masculine voice called to her, and Megumi turned around to see a merchant in his forties behind a stand that displayed small trinkets and ribbons of silk. "Would you like to buy something?"  
  
"No, thank you," she answered curtly, examining the merchant. Megumi didn't spend that much time at the docks, but this man didn't look like he was from this place at all. By the worn state of his clothing, he gave the appearance of someone who traveled quite a bit.  
  
'Perhaps he knows something about Kaoru.'  
  
"Have you seen a girl with long black hair around here?"  
  
Yahiko had finally given up and arrived at Megumi's side, hoping that this merchant had some information about his sensei.  
  
"A girl with long black hair?" the merchant rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "No, I can't say that I have."  
  
The boy's disappointment was evident on his face. Megumi placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but it didn't bring him any assurance.  
  
"...but," the man began, Yahiko's auburn eyes lifting from the ground to him, "I did see a young girl when I was at the entrance of the city this morning. She was wearing a blue kimono, and I think she had a pink ribbon in her hair."  
  
"That's Kaoru!" Yahiko exclaimed happily. "Where was she going? Did she say anything?"  
  
"Let him speak, Yahiko," Megumi tried to placate him.  
  
"She looked rather worried about something," the merchant continued. "I asked her what was wrong, and she told me that she had just gotten word that a friend of hers had fallen ill."  
  
"...did she say where she was going?" Yahiko asked, his relief diminishing with the news.  
  
"She didn't say, but she told me not to worry about her when I said that she shouldn't be traveling alone. Such a brave girl, that one."  
  
"Thank you, sir," Megumi said, dragging an unwilling Yahiko with her. They walked away from the docks, the young samurai looking behind him every chance he got.  
  
"He doesn't know anything else," she tried to reason with him. "It would be pointless to ask him more questions."  
  
"But aren't you worried?" Yahiko spat. "That old guy's right! Busu knows better than to travel alone!"  
  
"She'll be fine, Yahiko. Despite what you think about her, Kaoru can take care of herself."  
  
Unsatisfied with Megumi's logic, Yahiko clenched his fists angrily at his sides. "But don't you think that it's weird that she just left without even telling us a damn thing?!"  
  
"You know how she is. Kaoru tends to act before she thinks. She was probably so worried about her friend to consider anything else."  
  
"And who's this 'friend'? I never heard her say anything about them!"  
  
"I haven't heard Kaoru mention anything either," Megumi said. "But you and me haven't known her all of our lives. It's possible that she has friends that we don't know about."  
  
Yahiko cursed under his breath, kicking a stray rock that was in his path. Megumi had a lot of good points, but his fears were not put to rest. If he had known Kaoru was going to travel across the countryside, he would've gone with her. The thought of her walking by herself with just her bokken was discomforting.  
  
"She wouldn't want us to worry about her. Besides, Kaoru will be back as soon as her friend gets better."  
  
He said nothing and looked to the sky. The stars glowed softly back at him, the cool night air enveloping him as he walked. Megumi began to talk about an incident with a patient earlier today, but he wasn't listening. He couldn't if he had tried.  
  
'She had better come back soon.'  
  
* * * *  
  
The smell of saltwater filled his senses as he sat, turquoise eyes following the lazy movements of the waves below him. The afternoon sun beamed down on him, but he was dead to its warmth. The ocean breeze failed to give him any peace. He couldn't think of anything else. All of his thoughts were of the girl in his care.  
  
Enishi had stopped by earlier to drop off her breakfast. She was sleeping when he had come in, snoring slightly underneath the blankets that covered her. He spent a good hour or so sitting on her bed watching her as she dreamt. She had looked so tranquil and content, and seeing her like that was soothing. Only she could've made him feel that way, even if she was completely oblivious of that knowledge.  
  
He heard footsteps approaching, and he gave a sidelong glance to the girl behind him. Hair tied back in a ponytail, she was wearing the same kimono that she had been sleeping in. Although her attire was wrinkled, she looked radiant.  
  
He noticed the perverse looks of the sailors directed towards her. His eyes threatened them with consequences worse than death as he glared at them. Regardless, the girl was unaware of it all as she sat down beside him.  
  
"It's pretty," she spoke, the clarity of her voice bringing his attention back to her.  
  
"What is?"  
  
"The water," Kamiya replied wistfully, her blue eyes mirroring the shifting waves. "I like how the sunlight reflects off the water. It's really pretty."  
  
Intrigued, Enishi looked at the cerulean waters with her. Rays of light adorned each passing wave as the air was flecked with white foam. The sunlight shone off the waters, but it could never penetrate the endless depth of the ocean.  
  
"Enishi?"  
  
He turned towards her, expecting a string of questions to spill out from her lips.  
  
"Why do you want me to come to Shanghai with you?"  
  
"Didn't I tell you back in Tokyo?" he replied, adjusting his glasses to lessen the glare of the sun. "I want you to live with me."  
  
"...but why?" the innocence of her voice was apparent. She hadn't caught on to him yet.  
  
And he thought that Battousai was dense.  
  
"I have to find something out," he answered in monotone. "And I need you in order to do that."  
  
He wasn't lying. After so many years of anguish and suffering, he had almost forgotten what compassion had felt like. His sister was the only semblance of kindness that he knew, and after her death and his experience in Shanghai, he doubted that there was any good to humankind.  
  
Kamiya changed that. She had treated him with the benevolence of her heart, and for that he would always be grateful. Whenever she looked at him like she was doing now, he had seen a gentleness too beautiful for words.  
  
It had been so long since he had felt so strongly over someone. That was why he had to know. He knew she was the source of these unfamiliar emotions, but he had to find out why.  
  
* * * *  
  
Kaoru observed him silently. There was something about him that rekindled the concerns that she had for him four months ago.  
  
His eyes had told her. In those turquoise depths, there was still an indescribable grief that filled them. Memories of a loving sister and the hatred of a former hitokiri were still with him, and Kaoru knew that. She had sensed his animosity for Kenshin when they were talking back at her dojo.  
  
But the emotional scars...as indifferent as Enishi could be, they weren't healed. Kaoru didn't see him as a heartless murderer, but as a little boy whose happiness had been unjustly robbed from him due to a cruel twist of fate.  
  
"Do you hate me?"  
  
His question left her dumbstricken. "What?"  
  
"For taking you away from Tokyo. Do you hate me for what I did?"  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "No. I couldn't hate you."  
  
A smirk. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, I am. I mean, I'm not happy that you kidnapped me, but I'm not as angry at you as I was last night," she answered honestly. "But no, I couldn't hate you. Even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to."  
  
The smirk had straightened into a thin line. "...why?"  
  
"Because, I just couldn't. You might have done a lot things to hurt Kenshin, but I have no reason to hate you."  
  
The dull roar of the waves as they crashed into one another was all that was heard. Enishi regarded the girl beside him with silent awe.  
  
She couldn't hate him...the words filled him with a happiness that he couldn't describe.  
  
Kaoru saw the hint of a smile on Enishi's lips while he stared at the ocean. The longing of going back to Tokyo instantly vanished when she had seen it.  
  
There was still hope for him. Enishi didn't have to be spend his life drowning in loss and agony. If he let her, she could help him.  
  
As she sat with him, the realization brought a smile on her own lips. Enishi had seen it, but said nothing. For now, he wanted to enjoy this moment with her before it had ended all too soon.  
  
It would begin within a matter of a few days. When they arrived there, Shanghai would hold the answers for both of them.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
Nope, I'm not giving up on this fic to let you guys know. I'm very grateful for your feedback; it helped me continue this story. I did consider pulling it off the site, but luckily my writer's block cleared up. Sorry it took so long to update this. I should be able to update a lot quicker now that I'm done with most of my scholarships.  
  
I have a lot in store for Enishi and Kaoru in Shanghai. Writing about them will be fun, and I hope you enjoy the future chapters. Thanks for being so patient with me! 


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